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Why Does My Cat Block The TV? (Spite or Attention?)

If your cat is blocking your TV you may be wondering why this is happening and if it’s intentional or purely a coincidence…

Why does my cat block the TV?

Your cat may be blocking your TV for several reasons. However, the main reasons for this are typically it wants your attention, it’s feeling bored or just new to your TV and curious about it. If it’s lacking attention you may need to spend more quality time with it.

So, now you know. But, do cats like TVs? Why do some cats watch TV? Can they tell the difference between your voice and the TV? Keep reading for these answers, and much more…

3 reasons why cats may block a TV:

Earlier I briefly explained why your cat may be blocking your TV. In this section, I will explain each one in more detail.

01. Wants attention

Some cats will purposely block the TV because they want your attention. And, when they see you constantly engrossed in the TV, and not them, they may feel that they need to block it.

It’s a bit similar to why a cat may mess with your phone, they may see it as a challenge of your attention and do weird things to reclaim it.

02. Curiosity

Another reason for your cat to block the TV is curiosity. In this situation, it may not be on purpose. The imagery may not be as clear as it is to us, but the movement may catch their attention regardless.

If this happens they may sit in front of it looking at it wondering what’s going on. Unfortunately, for you, the cat is likely to do this when you have the TV on and get in front of your favorite TV show.

03. Boredom

If your cat is bored it may do this. For example, it’s an indoor cat and has limited toys or activities available. When this happens little things like a flickering TV screen can grab its attention.

If this is the case you will need to consider investing in some cat toys (Click here to see the price, on Amazon #Ad), or even a cat tree (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad), to keep them active and entertained to draw them away from your TV screen.

How can you prevent your cat from blocking your TV?

Know you know why your cat may block your TV, In this section, I will explain some techniques you can use to prevent this happening, depending on the reason for its behavior:

01. If it wants attention?

If your cat wants your attention it will keep doing things like this. So, the best way is to spend more quality time with it. Even if you invest an extra 30-60 minutes per day, this may be enough. Simply try and see the response.

02. If it’s curious?

If your cat is curious about the TV the best solution is just to be patient. Meaning, it just needs to adjust to the TV. Like most things they grab our interest when they are new, then, when we get used to it, our interest drops.

It’s the same for cats. So, just let them have a look, as long as they are not attacking the screen, then leave them.

03. If It just Bored?

If your cat is feeling bored you need to keep it more active. The best way to do this is to offer it some access to outside if that possible. Otherwise, provide indoor entertainment, like cat toys (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad), and exercise.

Do cats like TVs?

Some cats do like TV. In fact, there was a recent study on the influence of visual stimulation on the behavior of cats, this looked at cats in a rescue shelter and found that cats, especially ones without easy access to windows, may see some benefit from the TV images.

Obviously, this does not mean all cats will like it. Some cats will be intrigued, others will simply walk past it and see it as background.

Can cats see TV screens?

Cats can see TV screens but they do not see it the same way we do. According to research, they are mainly interested in fast-moving images. For example, a small fast-moving mouse on the screen is an ideal candidate.

This is one of the reasons why there is cat TV (more on this later). So, if you see your cat checking out your TV, instead of you, then do not get jealous.

Why does my cat watch TV?

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Your cat may be watching TV because something has caught its attention. They are likely to get interested in it if they see something fast-moving like an animal, rather than a slow-moving TV talk show, for example.

The reality is, it is unlikely to be watching the TV for too long. It may watch the scene that grabs its attention and then switch back to doing something completely different.

Can cats tell the difference between real voices and TV voices?

Cats do seem to be able to tell the difference between a real voice and a TV voice. This is because they can see you clearly but a TV screen does not appear as clear to them and is likely to dismiss a human voice on there.

If the TV has other sounds, like a bird chirping, or a mouse sound it may peek its attention more, but mainly from the sound and the fast movement on the screen.

Is it weird that my cat watches TV?

It is not necessarily weird that a cat watches TV, it may seem odd at first but understandable that they may be interested. Why? Well, it takes enough of our time, so we should understand the effect it has.

So, if you have ever watched your cat looking engrossed at the TV, you now know that it’s not being weird it’s just the way they are sometimes.

Is cat TV healthy for my cat?

Cat TV is not the healthiest activity for a cat, in fact, it’s not really an activity. But, a few minutes here and there is not too bad. The reality is cats usually have a low attention span when it comes to TV, so they shouldn’t be in front of the TV too long anyway.

If your cat needs more activities, or entertainment and is an indoor cat specifically, then it is worth investing in something like a cat tree (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad), or another item to keep it active.

Is Cat TV good for cats?

Cat TV is OK for cats in small doses. Meaning, it’s not advisable for them to watch this for long periods of time and should never replace their daily exercise.

As discussed earlier, a recent study showed some benefits for some cats, these in cat shelters with no access to windows. But, cats are not like us, humans, meaning the chances of them watching it for any length of time is unlikely.

Can a cat damage a TV?

A cat can damage some TVs if they are delicate. For example, a newer LCD TV may be easier to break than a solid glass screen TV from decades ago. This is because newer TVs are built to be light.

Therefore, when compared to older TVs they are significantly weaker, especially the screen itself.